The death of the carbon tax.

Richie Porte's domination of the Tour de France.

All stunning stories from a particularly busy few days in the Tasmanian news sphere.

But if we were to judge the value of The Examiner's content solely on reader reaction, these issues wilt in the face of the week's true historic event.

"Gather `round kids," old man Druce will wheeze in the distant future. "For I am about to tell you of the Great Puzzle Switcheroo of 2014."

Readers opened the paper last Saturday week to an altered landscape.

A new-look puzzle page stared at them, rid of comic strips The Swamp and Muddy River, but with Ginger Meggs there to soften the blow.

Bolstered by new strips Wumo, and Zits, plus a quiz (!) as well as the regular crosswords and jumble, the new set-up looked a good deal.

"Six comics instead of five," crotchety Druce will recall with misty eyes. "It was Christmas 2021 all over again."

However, those manning The Examiner switchboard will tell you otherwise.

It is clear now that the changes were flawed, the main offence being that the answers were printed directly next to each puzzle (albeit upside down).

"The temptation to glance was too great - and the people rose up!"

Tell them, future Druce.

"There were more phone calls, hand-written letters, emails, and in-person complaints than any story I had ever read or written.

"They said The Examiner was `run by idiots' - that we had `lost touch'.

"Some threatened to cancel their subscription. Others blamed the Illuminati.

"One maniac even demanded the return of Fred Basset."

In the end, the will of the people was served.

"Three days of anarchy ended when the puzzle answers were removed and scheduled for the following edition."

And, once more, all was right with the world.

"Wow, Old Man Druce, cool story," the children will say.

"Thanks children," I will reply. "Now I'll tell you what happened when the wrong two- way clues went in two days later."